Survey: Nearly One-Quarter Of Law Firms Plan To Boost Lateral Hiring In Next Two Years

MENLO PARK, Calif., Sept. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The legal field may see a lift in lateral hiring in the months ahead. More than half (58 percent) of lawyers recently interviewed by Robert Half Legal said lateral hiring is an effective strategy for improving firm revenue. Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of lawyers said their law firm will increase its hiring of partner- or senior-level attorneys in the next two years.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Legal, a premier legal staffing and consulting solutions firm specializing in the placement of lawyers, paralegals and other highly skilled legal professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on 175 telephone interviews with lawyers at law firms in the United States and Canada.

Lawyers were asked, "How effective is lateral hiring as a strategy to improve law firm revenue?" Their responses:*

Very effective

17%

Somewhat effective

41%

Neither effective nor ineffective

17%

Somewhat ineffective

8%

Very ineffective

5%

Don't know/no answer

13%

101%

*Responses do not total 100 percent due to rounding.

Lawyers were also asked, "Does your law firm plan to increase or decrease its hiring of law firm partners or senior-level attorneys in the next two years?" Their responses:

Increase significantly

2%

Increase somewhat

21%

Keep the same

57%

Decrease somewhat

7%

Decrease significantly

3%

Don't know/no answer

10%

100%

"Lateral hiring is only as effective as a law firm's recruiting and onboarding process," said Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal. "Firms that are expanding high-growth practice areas through strategic hires should establish clear guidelines, set realistic revenue goals and provide ongoing training to help lawyers successfully integrate into the firm and meet expectations."

About Robert Half Legal

Robert Half Legal is the premier provider of legal staffing and consulting solutions for law firms and corporate legal departments. With North American and global locations, Robert Half Legal provides a customized approach, including managed review, legal project management and eDiscovery services, to help organizations handle constantly changing workloads. The company offers in-demand expertise across practice areas as well as highly skilled legal professionals on a temporary, project and full-time basis. More information about our full suite of legal staffing and consulting solutions can be found at roberthalflegal.com. For career and management advice, follow our Legal Blog at blog.roberthalflegal.com.